Cooperative Extension in Hancock County

STATEWIDE HIGHLIGHTS – Maine Food Systems

Supporting Maine’s Wild Blueberries

Relevance – Wild blueberries are a $250 million industry in Maine. Mummy berry and Botrytis flower blight can be serious diseases in wild blueberries that can greatly decrease yield when they occur. Mummy berry can result in complete crop loss if not effectively controlled. Botrytis can kill off 30% of flowers during bloom, and frost during bloom also can greatly decrease yield. Maine’s 510 blueberry growers need accurate weather and disease risk information, and those who use fungicides need timely information on when they should apply fungicides for optimum efficacy. Timely applications of fungicides provide improved control of mummy berry and Botrytis. Avoiding unnecessary fungicide applications also saves growers’ money and prevents adding unnecessary pesticides to the environment.

Response – Extension has a network of 15 Internet connected weather stations in low bush blueberry fields. From the weather data and field conditions, we provide growers with biweekly reports on infection risk during mummy berry season and make recommendations on effective times for fungicide applications. In 2019, Extension provided growers with a new weather app developed with AgriNet. This web-based app is available on mobile phones and provides current information for each weather station, and indicates when disease events have occurred. Future additions to the app will include alerts for frost events and inclusion of growing degree day models for important blueberry life stages or pests.

Result – As a result, more growers can quickly obtain information about their fields for weather conditions and disease risks. Growers report substantial savings by avoiding unnecessary applications of fungicides to control mummy berry disease.

Supporting Food Producers with Food Safety

Relevance – The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was a  significant change to food safety regulations, introducing a proactive rather than reactive approach to outbreaks. Two major rules impacted farmers and food businesses in Maine, and throughout the U.S. They are the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule (PC). The overall goal of these rules is to make our food system safer. For produce farmers, the impact of the changes are the greatest, since this industry has not been regulated before. These farmers remain uncertain of how the regulations affect their work.

Response – In 2019, Extension provided three-day PC trainings to over 30 food producers in Maine and three seafood Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) courses with 60 seafood processors and one Meat and Poultry course with 23 participants. We have scheduled PSR training to over 200 farmers. In addition to these trainings, Extension provided one-on-one consulting and education for over 30 food producers, providing services ranging from facility design, sanitation, thermal process design/validation, and food safety plan guidance.

Result – As a result of participation in these FSMA trainings, over 60 food producers have implemented food safety plans. One company exemplifies the implementation of knowledge gained by participating in all three trainings and receiving one-on-one consulting. In the six years that Extension has been working with this company, they have grown from producing 200 units a week to over 8,000, and grown from 2 employees in 2012 to 12 full-time and 5 part-time employees in 2019. In 2020, they are planning to build a new building capable of producing over 20,000 units a week.

AgrAbility…Supporting Farmers of All Abilities To Remain Active on the Farm

Relevance – The average U.S. farmer is 58 years old, and farming is the sixth most dangerous job in America. An estimated 5,700 farmers, farm family members, or farm workers in Maine have a chronic health condition or disability, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, or aging-related issues, such as arthritis or hearing loss. In addition to farmers, fishermen, forest workers, and migrant workers face similar challenges for remaining successful in production agriculture.

Response – Funded through USDA/NIFA, Maine AgrAbility helps Maine farmers, loggers and fishermen facing physical or cognitive challenges, to enhance their ability to farm and live independently, which improves their quality of life and economic sustainability. AgrAbility specialists assess issues and offer adaptive recommendations. They provide education about safe work methods and connect people with other resources through this nonprofit partnership between Extension and Alpha One.  The program supports the capacity of health and agricultural professionals to provide assistance and services for farmers and farm workers with disabilities.

Result – Since the project began in 2010, Maine AgrAbility has provided technical information to over 800 farmers and conducted on-site assessments for over 100 agricultural workers.  The diverse agricultural operations include dairy and livestock operations, Christmas tree farms, fruit orchards, agritourism, vegetable and maple syrup production, hay sales, managing woodlots and lobstering.  A 2019 program evaluation suggests that participants experienced an increase in economic viability and sustainability, and that AgrAbility suggestions made their farm business more accessible, or using their existing resources differently allowed them to start building up their farm again into a viable and stronger business.

Recipe to Market Program: Growing Successful Food Entrepreneurs 

Relevance – There has been a growing interest in value-added food production in Maine. From farmers looking to add value to their raw products, to Maine families interested in turning their favorite recipes into viable food businesses. In response to this growing demand, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension developed the Recipe to Market program in 2007, and has been offering it to statewide audiences annually ever since. The goal of the program is to help potential and existing food entrepreneurs acquire food science and business knowledge and skills to successfully bring a value-added food product to market.

Response – Since its inception, Extension has conducted 28 programs in 9 counties reaching 350 participants across the state. The program is offered in both multiple and single session formats and is designed to help participants understand licensing/regulations, processing/packaging, the specialty food industry and acquire business management knowledge and skills. The program is conducted by a multidisciplinary team of Extension faculty and covers topics such as: Introduction to Specialty Foods; Developing Your Product and Process; Business Realities; Marketing and a resource panel discussion.

Results – As a result of attending these educational programs, more than 90 percent of the participants surveyed indicated they improved their knowledge and skills and plan to adopt business and food processing/safety practices they learned during the program.  Long-term survey results indicate that participants used the new knowledge they gained from attending Recipe to Market to make more effective business decisions, develop new food products, and write and revise business and marketing plans. The survey results also indicate that 27% of the Recipe to Market multi-session participants subsequently started food businesses. We estimate that 60 new value-added food businesses, generating $2.1 million in direct sales and employing 102 workers were started in Maine by the 221 people attending our Recipe to Market multi-session programs since 2007.

STATEWIDE HIGHLIGHTS — 4-H Youth Development

Fostering Positive Science Identities in Youth

Relevance – Educators in the United States, and in Maine, are continuing to work toward fostering interest and positive science identities in youth. They are also searching for ways to engage youth in local, place-based STEM activities, while using best practices for science learning and meeting local state and national standards. Youth enjoy and learn from experiential learning activities, particularly activities that have local and personal relevance and applicability. University researchers continue to explore ways to communicate research to public audiences, including K-12 age youth.

Response – As a way to bring UMaine research to youth audiences, Extension in 2014 developed 4-H Science Toolkits – curricula with associated materials available for loan from Extension offices. These toolkits are available to formal and informal educators at no cost, and the curriculum can be downloaded online. New toolkits have been recently developed or are being developed in mineralogy, meteorites, data science, forestry, solar energy, and aquaculture. Toolkits are standardized so that each serves a classroom group of 25 youth.

Result – The toolkit lending library has nearly 200 individual kits in almost 50 unique STEM subjects. In 2019, over 150 adults borrowed the 4-H Science/STEM toolkits, reaching over 2,000 youth with free hands-on STEM learning. This number is expected to grow with the availability of new toolkits and their use by 4-H STEM Ambassadors, UMaine researchers, and with many faculty adding funding for the creation of 4-H toolkits to their grant proposals. Outside sponsors have also sponsored 4-H toolkits, and the program is also part of a $20 million National Science Foundation grant to UMaine. By reducing a significant barrier for 4-H volunteers, club leaders, 4-H staff, and other educators, these STEM toolkits are bolstering STEM learning to Maine youth.

4-H Ambassadors Sparking Student Interest in STEM Careers

Relevance – Developing Maine youth’s STEM literacy is vital to ensuring that our state continues to thrive economically and socially. Given the remote and diverse communities where Maine youth live, informal education can help minimize inequities in rural youth STEM education and career pipelines. Future career opportunities in Maine will depend heavily on STEM skills, whether in the growing fields of healthcare and engineering, or in positions requiring technical skills, such as in construction and maintenance of transportation and energy systems.

Response – In 2019, the 4-H STEM Ambassador program staff trained 116 college students to develop and deliver informal STEM-based educational experiences. These volunteers committed 1,740 hours of time including training, preparation and program delivery. Through this program, youth ages 8-14 come to view these Ambassadors as mentors and leaders in their community while also developing skills in STEM through hands-on activities.

Result – The 4-H STEM Ambassador program continues to grow to reach more youth, and engage more UMaine System college students as we engage more partners in our efforts. In 2019, over 850 youth were engaged in at least 6 hours of hands-on science, engineering and mathematics. Youth participants agree they want to learn more about science and feel they are good at science, and feel college could be for them. Our 4-H STEM Ambassadors quickly develop confidence in their abilities as teachers and leaders in STEM education. Over the next twelve months we will extend the program to other higher education institutions in Maine. As part of a successful NSF grant to UMaine, expansion to select Maine Community Colleges will begin in 2020.

Childhood Obesity and EFNEP

Relevance – Nationally, 4.8 million (15.5%) children aged 10 to 17 are obese. Comparatively, Maine’s youth obesity rate is similar to the national rates at 14.9%. Annually, the United States spends $14 billion to treat childhood obesity, and obese children are almost three times more expensive for the health system than the normal weight child. Rising childhood obesity rates will continue to put a strain on current health promotion programs and continue to raise health care costs for the nation.

Response – In an effort to stop rising childhood obesity rates, UMaine Extension EFNEP implements direct education to Maine’s low-income children to improve their knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes related to improving diet quality, increasing daily physical activity, and using food resources management practices to learn how to plan and shop for healthy meals and snacks. Program outcomes are measured for all youth ages 5-18 using validated pre/post program surveys.

Result – In 2019, 2,056 youth participated in Maine EFNEP. Youth participated in an average of 6 classes over 2 months. Of the 2,056 youth that participated in EFNEP, 1,936 completed a pre and post survey. As a result of participating in EFNEP:

• 77% of youth improved their abilities to choose foods according to current Dietary Guidelines or improved nutrition knowledge.
• 38% of youth improved their daily physical activity practices.
• 53% of youth used safe food handling practices more often.
• 46% of youth improved their ability to prepare simple, nutritious, affordable food.

STATEWIDE HIGHLIGHTS —
Community and Economic Development

Helping Entrepreneurs in Pricing Skills

Relevance – Small businesses are very important to the economic vitality of Maine’s rural economy. More than 20% of the jobs in rural Maine are created by small-scale entrepreneurs. However, many of these entrepreneurs lack the business skills needed to successfully start-up and grow their businesses. Research shows that helping rural entrepreneurs improve their business skills will improve their chances for success. One of the most important business management skills is pricing. Yet, many small-scale entrepreneurs lack the knowledge and skills necessary to develop a profitable pricing strategy that can help ensure financial success.

Response – During the past year, the UMaine Extension conducted pricing workshops across the state, presented a pricing webinar in collaboration with the Maine Food Strategy, and taught a pricing seminar at a statewide conference for Maine entrepreneurs. The goal of this program was to help existing and aspiring Maine entrepreneurs improve their pricing knowledge and skills so they could develop profitable pricing strategies for their businesses. The program was conducted by Extension faculty and covered topics such as: key elements of pricing, pricing methods and models, pricing strategies, price elasticity of demand, profit margin and cost analysis.

More than 70 rural entrepreneurs from across Maine participated in this highly successful training. They included specialty food producers, farmers, craft artists, food retailers, environmental consultants, bookkeepers and other small rural businesses.

Result – As a result of attending these educational programs, Maine entrepreneurs improved their knowledge and skills of pricing, plan to adopt the pricing techniques they learned, and to set profitable prices for their products and services moving forward. Eighty-seven percent planned to set a new, more profitable, price for their product or service, and 97% planned to adopt the pricing techniques learned during the training. The average participant reported a 157% increase in their knowledge of pricing as a result of attending the workshops. Changes they plan to make within six months of the training included: incorporate the value or their time and profit into their pricing, conduct a thorough cost analysis, research the market before setting prices, and restructure their current pricing structure. Several workshop participants who attended follow-up one-on-one consultations said they subsequently created pricing strategies that led to increased profitability for their businesses.

Master Gardener Volunteers

Relevance – Successful school and community gardens are an important tool for enhancing public health and providing meaningful community engagement opportunities by increasing access to locally grown food, providing a safe space to connect with neighbors, and offering learning opportunities outside the classroom. Extension supports volunteer leaders and provides educational resources, which are key contributors to the success of these projects

Response – The Master Gardener Volunteers (MGV) Program provides participants with a minimum of 40 hours of in-depth training in the art and science of horticulture. Trainees receive current, research-based information from our educators and industry experts and are connected with service projects that match their interests, skill set, and availability. MGV coordinators facilitate relationships between MGV and community partners; assisting with needs assessment, program planning, risk management, and problem solving

Results – The MGV program provides opportunities for gardeners with all levels of experience to connect with meaningful service projects in their community. Of the 937 active MGV, 144 were trained in 2019. In total, they donated 33,500 hours to a variety of educational and food security projects throughout the state including support of: 53 community gardens 50 school gardens 57 demonstration gardens, and 66 youth programs involving 4,129 youth in horticulture activities this year.  MGVs reported that they: increased community partnerships, assessed community needs and assets, engaged positively in their community, increased consumption of home-grown food, and developed new or expanded gardens.  Many volunteers enter the MGV program with the goal of improving their gardening skills for their own personal benefit and leave surprised by how deeply involved and passionate they become about community projects.

Maine Harvest for Hunger: Mobilizing to Support Food Insecure Citizens

Maine has the highest rate of food insecurity in New England, and ranks 12th in the U.S. The USDA estimates 13.6 percent of Maine households, over 182,000 individuals, are food insecure. Twenty percent of children are food insecure. Twenty-three percent of seniors have marginal, low, or very low food security. Thirty-seven percent of food-insecure people do not qualify for food stamps or other government programs. It is especially challenging for food insecure people to afford high quality, fresh, nutritious food, and donations of fresh produce to Maine’s emergency food system has declined significantly in recent years.

Since 2000, UMaine Extension’s Maine Harvest for Hunger (MHH) program has mobilized gardeners, farmers, businesses, schools, and civic groups to grow, glean, and donate quality produce to distribution sites (pantries, shelters, community meals) and directly to neighbors in need, to mitigate hunger, improve nutrition and health, and help recipients develop lifelong positive nutritional habits. In addition, educational programs such as Hancock County’s Eat Well Volunteers, have focused on engaging food pantry recipients in learning appropriate methods of cooking and using fresh produce, and state-wide Extension programs help teach Mainers to grow more of their own fresh garden produce. 

Since 2000, MHH participants have distributed over 3 million lbs. of food to citizens grappling with hunger. In 2019, donations of over 193,000 lbs. of fresh produce from over 120 Maine farms went to 207 hunger alleviation distribution sites. A corps of 365 volunteers and 8 corporate partners from 12 counties logged over 6,000 hours, and the value of the produce is estimated at over $327,000. Now in its 20th season, MHH has continued to improve the efficiency of supplying fresh produce to food pantries across Maine through building partnerships.  For example, through MHH volunteer planning and communications, several food pantries are now sending trucks and vans directly to the farm where gleaning is taking place.

Maine has approximately 130 community gardens and many of them are supported by Extension staff and Master Gardener Volunteers. As a result, more than 30 of them now have added an MHH area to their community garden and have contributed almost 20,000 lbs. of our 2019 totals. In Penobscot County, volunteers anonymously sponsor food insecure families by collaborating with the Maine Family Institute to distribute fresh produce to the families, which has resulted in their increased consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

FINANCIAL

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Support for HANCOCK County

HANCOCK County	CY2019
Local Salaries and Benefits	266,606
Prorated Support from UMaine*	431,143
Computer Equipment and Networking	705
Statewide Animal Diagnostic Lab	16,648
Marketing, Publications, Video	1,906
Local Programming Supplies & Expenses	5,838
Postage	997
Telephone	432
Travel	8,874
TOTAL	733,148
* Prorated support from UMaine reflects travel, postage, telephone, computer equipment & networking, salaries & benefits for administrative and state-wide staff.

Without statewide support, UMaine Extension would not be present in your county. Funds for projects are provided through the University of Maine, Federal Formula Funds, grants, contracts, and fees. Dollars from other sources support salaries and benefits for Extension specialists, county educators, Extension administration, computer equipment and networking, publications, postage, telephone, and travel.

Statewide Extension Funding

As a unique partnership among federal, state and county governments, UMaine Extension uses funding from Maine counties and the University to match and leverage support from the United States Department of Agriculture, other federal grantors, state agencies and private foundations. Each county UMaine Extension office is also part of a statewide organization and the national Extension system.

Hancock county tax dollars support the UMaine extension with physical office space, support staff salaries, office supplies, equipment and some programming expenses.  The 2019 support from Hancock County was $70,000.